Contamination factor and pollution load index to estimate source apportionment of selected heavy metals in soils around a cement factory, SW Iran

ABSTRACT

The present study was carried out aimed at characterizing the spatial distribution and source apportionment of heavy metals (HMs), including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn), in the soils around the Yasouj cement factory. A total of 61 surface soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected, and after measuring the near-total concentration of selected HMs, contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI) were calculated. Comparing the observed concentrations of the studied HMs with their global permissible limits revealed that the whole area was severely polluted to Ni (average: 243.53 mg kg⁻¹). The spatial distribution of selected HMs in the studied soils indicated that the distance to the cement factory is not necessarily a factor of influence. CF analyses revealed that Pb and Mn caused an ‘extremely polluted’ class for most of the sampling sites. Accordingly, preventing the adverse impacts of cement production in the area requires further precautions. The PLI numeric values ranged from 1.0 to 2.3, suggesting that both bedrock weathering and industrial activities might equally contribute to spreading HMs in the area. It can be concluded that calculating and interpreting PLI may provide valuable information about the possible sources of HMs.

KEYWORDS:

• Soil contamination
• source identification
• industrial activities
• Yasouj cement factory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by funds allocated by the Vice President of Yasouj University for research purposes.